By Brad Ciociola, Currency Specialist

The Stack’s Bowers Galleries Official Currency Auction of the ANA World’s Fair of Money will feature a highly desirable Confederate T-2 1861 $500. Just four types of these rare early high denomination Confederate Treasury Notes were issued while the Confederate capital was located in Montgomery, Alabama. These four notes, known as the Montgomerys, include the first four types of the standard Confederate type set with denominations of $1000, $500, $100 and $50.

By Brad Ciociola, Currency Specialist

A rare Fr. 1700 1933 $10 Silver Certificate graded Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ sold for a record price of $70,500 in the Stack’s Bowers Galleries Official Currency Auction of the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Summer Expo. The price practically doubled the previous auction record for the one-year design type.

By Matt Quinn, Assistant Director of Currency

The Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio August 2015 Hong Kong Currency Auction will showcase an incredible array of rare banknotes from the Far East. The sale will lead with Chinese material starting with an impressive selection of Empirical issues with many examples of the popular “Ming Note,” as well as pieces from the Ch’ing Dynasty and Board of Revenue issues. Republic era notes are a focal point of the sale as well, with many rare issued notes from the 1910s being offered. Key Provincial Chinese banknote rarities are also included and the sale finishes out with impressive offerings of Hong Kong currency and notes of British Commonwealths.

By Brad Ciociola, Currency Specialist

The live Internet session of the Stack’s Bowers Galleries July Baltimore Currency Auction will begin Monday, July 20, 2015, at 10:00 AM PT. More than 600 lots of U.S. currency will be featured in the Internet session and include Colonial and Continental Currency, Obsolete notes, Confederate Currency, Large and Small Size Type, Fractional Currency and National Banknotes.

By Matt Quinn, Assistant Director of Currency

Most collectors are interested in securing banknotes produced prior to their births, but as time goes on more and more people develop a passion for modern bank notes. Several issues of currency produced no more than half a decade ago are already scarce and in some instances, rare. As with older notes, print runs and circulating periods are the principle factor in rarity. As variety collecting gains in popularity far more rarities are being identified within particular currencies.

By Brad Ciociola, Currency Specialist

Our upcoming Stack’s Bowers Galleries Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Summer Expo features a stunning Fr. 288 “Black Back” 1880 $10 Silver Certificate. Featured on these scarce notes is the portrait of founding father and financer of the American Revolution, Robert Morris.

By Matt Quinn, Assistant Director of Currency

One of the rarities to be featured in our upcoming August Hong Kong auction will be an incredibly rare 1902-dated One Piastre note from the Canton Shameen branch on the Bank of Indo China. Printed by A. Bramtot et G Duval FEC and the current plate note in Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, Volume II (Pick reference).

By Matt Quinn, Assistant Director of Currency

The rare currency team at Stack’s Bowers is pleased to announce that the Official World Currency Auction for the August 2015 ANA Convention is taking shape and nearing its final form. Over 200 showcase lots will be presented that include several areas of interest. A separate Internet-only section featuring another pleasing assortment of scarce notes will close the following week and utilize our newly adopted live bidding for Internet sales.